The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

All Critics (264) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (176) | Rotten (91) | DVD (3)

It frequently seems as though Jackson was less interested in making The Hobbit than in remaking his own fabulously successful Lord of the Rings series.

December 14, 2012 Full Review

Christopher Orr

The Atlantic

Top Critic

My first thought in watching The Hobbit was: Do we really need this movie? It was my last thought, too.

December 14, 2012 Full Review

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Top Critic

To its own narrative detriment, "The Hobbit" works hard to lay the framework for what will follow. Certainly that's one way to set out on a trilogy, but it's surely not the best.

December 14, 2012 Full Review

Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

Top Critic

There's no denying the majesty in Peter Jackson's visuals but he's taken a relatively slim children's book and stretched it beyond the limits.

December 14, 2012 Full Review

Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper.com

Top Critic

The repeated iterations of fight, flight and respite here get wearing. Especially perhaps because, with Jackson's fetish for detail, they take more time to watch on screen than to read about.

December 14, 2012 Full Review

Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" has finally arrived, not on wings of gossamer fancy but with a hairy-footed thud.

December 14, 2012 Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Top Critic

The odd thing about the saying "too much of a good thing" is that it acknowledges the fact that, something, in general, is composed of an overabundance of excellence.

April 14, 2013 Full Review

Bill Gibron

Film Racket

There's a good film in here, but as with many double albums, you have to sift through a lot of padding to find it.

April 10, 2013 Full Review

Richard Edwards

SFX Magazine

The Hobbit may not be as memorable as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it's a mostly faithful adaptation that sticks to the same tones and themes of the source material.

March 23, 2013 Full Review

Jeremy Lebens

We Got This Covered

It's a journey that any fan of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy should enjoy.

March 21, 2013 Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

The start of Peter Jackson's second Tolkien universe trilogy seemed to elicit more shrugs than awe, which was odd because the movie stands on par with his monumental The Lord of the Rings films.

March 19, 2013 Full Review

Phil Villarreal

COEDMagazine.com

A top-shelf presentation of one of last year's baggiest, most unnecessary films, this combo pack confirms An Unexpected Journey's status as little more than pricey techno-bauble.

March 18, 2013 Full Review

John Semley

Slant Magazine

Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth feels familiar and unfulfilling.

March 3, 2013 Full Review

Tom Glasson

Concrete Playground

If Jackson had focused simply on Bilbo's party and their attempts to get a proper homeland for the dwarves, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' would have been a leaner, more engaging tale.

February 2, 2013 Full Review

Dan Lybarger

KC Active

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien may like sitting through a 169 minute film, that easily could have been trimmed by at least 50 minutes. But, I was constantly aware of the long running time.

February 1, 2013 Full Review

Paul Chambers

Movie Chambers

As it stands, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a thoroughly engaging, often rip-roaring, old school yarn. It's got scope, excitement, and above all, emotional heft.

January 31, 2013 Full Review

Bill Gibron

PopMatters

Whenever this movie suffers from lengthy prequel-itis and a weighty sense of expectations, it falls short. Still, for much of its 165 minutes, this epic has enough small moments and deft touches that it tugs you along with the power of a good story.

January 29, 2013 Full Review

Brian Gibson

Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

An Unexpected Journey offers an unparalleled visual spectacle

January 20, 2013 Full Review

Mary Clare Waireri

Fan The Fire

a drag-down, mildly diverting entertainment

January 10, 2013 Full Review

Jay Antani

Cinema Writer

When the dwarves turn up mob-handed, kicking off a night of boisterous revelry, the laboured jests and jollity seem to go on forever. And the combination of dwarves, forced humour and familiar faces off the telly turn the occasion into bad panto.

January 10, 2013 Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey had me with the dulcet melancholy of displaced Dwarves, yearning to be home.

January 8, 2013 Full Review

Blake Howard

2UE That Movie Show

Slower out of the gates than a three-legged donkey... but it gets better, and fans won't mind this slowburn beginning because, hey, it's Middle Earth.

January 7, 2013 Full Review

Matt Neal

The Standard

It's the behaviour of the supposedly affable dwarves that makes this particular 'adventure' such a punishing experience.

January 7, 2013 Full Review

Charlie Lyne

Ultra Culture

...a jaw-dropping visual carnival courtesy of Peter Jackson and company!

January 6, 2013 Full Review

Michael A. Smith

MediaMikes

Very, very (very) slow in the early going, but Peter Jackson does get there (eventually).

January 4, 2013 Full Review

Clint O'Connor

Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a story stretched too thin; dragged out by drudging slowness and obvious padding that its handful of thrilling action sequences can't improve.

January 3, 2013 Full Review

Diva Velez

TheDivaReview.com

• 1. Gollum: The Bagginses like the fishies.
  – Submitted by Rachael R (5 days ago)
• 1. William Troll: Everything tastes like chicken, except chicken itself.
  – Submitted by Rachael R (5 days ago)
• 1. Bilbo Baggins: I like visitors, but I usually get to know them before they visit.
  – Submitted by Rachael R (5 days ago)
• 1. Gollum: If the Baggins loses, then we swallows it whole.
  2. Bilbo: Fair enough.
  – Submitted by Andrew D (26 days ago)
• 1. Bilbo Baggins: Good morning.
  2. Gandalf: What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning or do you mean that it is a good morning wheter I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be a good on? Hm?
  3. Bilbo Baggins: All of them at once, I suppose.
  – Submitted by Jean R (29 days ago)
• 1. Goblin King: Well, that'll do it.
  – Submitted by EntertainMeOrDie L (49 days ago)